DeLauro Receives “Response” from Boar’s Head Regarding Listeria Outbreak

Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) announced that she has received a response to her September 30 letter to Boar's Head regarding the Boar's Head plant at the center of the recent nationwide Listeria outbreak which caused 10 deaths and dozens of hospitalizations - the largest listeriosis outbreak since 2011. The plant was allowed to keep operating despite over 60 citations for noncompliance and U.S. inspectors warning that the conditions at the plant posed an imminent threat to public health two years prior to the outbreak.

"This September, I demanded answers from Boar's Head about their Virginia plant-the one at the center of the recent Listeria outbreak," said DeLauro. "What I received in return was not a credible response; it was a classic corporate dodge. They skirted almost every substantive question, from how they test for contaminants, to their alarmingly vague plans to prevent another deadly outbreak. The American people will not be satisfied with marketing fluff or half-truths-they deserve straight answers. Honesty and accountability are essential to prevent another outbreak. If Boar's Head thinks it can brush this inquiry off and slip back to business as usual, they are wrong. I will not stop pushing until we know exactly what went wrong, precisely how they are fixing it, and who is finally going to take responsibility. If they thought this flimsy, PR-driven response to a Congressional inquiry would get them off the hook, they were wrong. I expect a real, substantive response, and soon."

Boar's Head failed to answer several questions raised by DeLauro in her September 30 letter, including:

• No confirmation if they plan to reopen the Virginia plant at the center of the Listeria outbreak
• No clear commitment to improving plant's infrastructure or explanation how Boar's Head plans to prevent noncompliances in the future
• No response on explaining their past food safety policies
• No response on why staff did not act sooner to address food safety concerns or how management will be held accountable
• No response on the frequency Boar's Head conducted microbial testing
• No response on testing data as requested.
• No word if Boar's Head tested non-contact food surfaces
• No response on whether third party inspections were conducted before the recall
• No response on how HQ handled food safety concerns and
• Limited information on the documented steps of the recall.

You can read Boar's Head's response here. DeLauro's September 30 letters to Boar's Head can be found here and her letter to the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) can be found here. DeLauro is still waiting for a response from FSIS.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) just announced key reformsyesterday that were raised by DeLauro in her September 30 letter to the agency. Notable changes include:

• FSIS adding broader Listeria species testing to all samples of ready-to-eat product, environmental and food contact surfaces.
• FSIS updating its instructions and training for food safety inspectors to better equip the workforce to recognize and highlight systemic problems in a standardized way.
• FSIS field supervisors conducting in-person, follow-up visits when systemic issues are identified during a Food Safety Assessment.
• FSIS clarifying state and Federal requirements for consistent oversight of Talmadge-Aiken (TA) programs through updated cooperative agreements and instructions.

"While I am grateful that FSIS has acknowledged how they fell short and I await their response, I am not confident that Boar's Head has done the same," DeLauro continued. "I look forward the UDSA Office of Inspector General getting to the bottom of this, as I requested in October, and I encourage UDSA and the U.S. Department of Justice to hold Boar's Head accountable if they are liable."